By Sarah Unger
Generations of plumbers have learned the ways of the wrench at M.J. Grove, in Windsor, and the tradition doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
The company, which specializes in plumbing and heating repair, is nearing its 70th year as a family-owned and operated business created by Marvin Grove.
Grove had set up shop in his Hamilton home back in the 1940s, doing whatever he could to support his family, whether that meant cleaning a chimney or doing light carpentry, said daughter Lynn White, who was an infant at the time.
But when Grove put the focus on plumbing, business took off. Today, Lynn’s husband Albert White, a licensed plumber, runs the business with their daughter Carol Whitehouse, who handles business administration.
Whitehouse remembers working at the shop as a youngster, stocking shelves at age 12, she said.
“Mom took us to work back when work was at Grandma and Grandpa’s house,” she said.
“We get a lot of business by word of mouth,” said Carol Whitehouse. “And there are still people who will say, ‘Your grandfather did the plumbing in our house.’”
Several licensed plumbers and one apprentice round out the team and with the exception, of August Moschera, all are family. Although Whitehouse is quick to point out the lone “oddball,” Moschera is such a close friend he may as well be family.
The family aspect of the business shows no signs of letting up, according to White.
“We’ve raised three grandkids here,” she said, including apprentice Michael Rupport, Jr., and Jason, the 5-year-old son of Carol Whitehouse and Rocco Infante, also a licensed plumber.
The bulk of Grove’s projects are part of kitchen and bathroom renovations, Whitehouse said.
“People are constantly remodeling to keep home values up,” Whitehouse said.
She said that because of the housing market, with more homeowners hanging on to their dwellings rather than enduring the tough market, they’re deciding to stay put and improve their kitchens or baths. Eventually they can expect their investments to pay off when the market does finally turn around.
Whitehouse also pointed out that the economy is pushing consumers to be more savvy with their finances.
“They want quality and value, not just the cheapest bidder,” she said.
“We do anything from a dripping faucet to a whole bathroom remodel or a whole new heating system,” White said, adding that Grove’s plumbers have the experience to know when and how to repair a fixture rather than to automatically replace it.
That said, if their plumbers don’t believe they can properly handle a job, they will turn it down rather than subcontract out for additional workers.
“We’d rather know that our guys are on the job,” Whitehouse said.
Having been in business for nearly seven decades, the business has worked with many contractors over the decades.
One is Byrne Brothers Construction.
“They’re very dependable and trustworthy, and their crew has very good manners on the job. We’ve used many plumbing firms but they are the cream of the crop. Dependability is key with contractors. If they say they’re going to be there, they’re there. And they’re a pleasure to work with both in the office and in the field,” Bryne said of the business.
M. J. Grove can be reached at (609) 448-6083.
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